Comments

A 1992 Dodge Shadow is worth about one-third of a 1995 Honda Civic, generally speaking. The Shadow ought to be about a $1500-$2500 car, whereas a 1995 Civic would run $4000-$6000. I saw a wrecked 1992 Civic DX hatchback today with 106K needing a hood, headlights, and a radiator support. It was $2950, and remember, this is a WRECKED car at a well-established rebuilders store. There were no Shadows, but think...an 8 year-old Civic, wrecked, with a salvage title, for almost $3000. Resale on Hondas is cool. But if you want to save your money, get the Shadow.

I don't think he will save money by getting the Shadow because he 'll be putting it back into the car. A Shadow is less reliable than a Civic. My friend had a '90 Shadow (fully loaded with alloy wheels, spoiler, etc.) and it had a lot of problems after 30K mi. Cruise control kept breaking, then the A/C went around 50K mi. Then oxygen sensors, brake calipers, etc. Then the catalytic converter went around 75K mi. and it cost him and arm and a leg (I think it was like $500-600 at the dealer, got ripped off). Then shortly thereafter around 80k mi. the auto tranny went and he sold it for $800, 6 yrs. later with a new exhaust & muffler, but no tranny. The motor was also burning some oil. He was thinking about burning the car down, he hated it because he was in the shop a lot. Then again my wife's girlfriend had an '89 shadow 5-sp for a long time and sold it with 95k mi. with very few problems. I remember she had to replace the alternator but I think everything else was maintenance. Hit or miss I guess.. Don't know the difference between an '89 (or 90) and a '92 Shadow.. Can't go wrong with a Civic and you 'll get decent resale value when you get rid of it. Just change the oil regularly, maintain it properly, tune-ups, timing belt every 60k mi. and you 'll have it for a long long time.

It's been months since I wrote my first e-mail, and I definitely think it is time I bought a civic... I am at 67000 miles, and I am leaking antifreeze, oil, and over heat all the time. If it is the head gasket, that is over half the value of my car to fix... no way i am going through that! Thanks to every one for their opinion, I took all of them in to consideration.

I am original owner of a '88 ES turbo 5 speed. Has been a great car, given the price I paid for it ($10.5) vs the $15+ that a similar FX-16 toyota or cavalier would have cost.

The car has decent features, holds 4 pretty well, and good torque. Turbo works very very well on highway. I can go as fast as I want, had it up to 125 no problem a long time ago under controlled circumstances. Brakes work great, handles well. I still have the original alternator, exhaust & cat, waterpump, fuel pump, etc. avg 26mpg mixed city/highway.

The biggest drawback is the headgasket on the 4cyl. Mine's in the shop just this week for its 3rd replacement in 140k miles. I've gotten great service out of mine in the 12 years with a great low cost of ownership, but time has come to move on. Its not a particularly top choice as a used car, unless (for turbo) you like power over reliability, and you get a good deal. I'm selling mine, want to offer something? Its in a great shape. slopedirk@aol.com

I have a 92 Shadow and I have to say its the most reliable car. It had to have a headgasket replaced last fall - but that was due to Pennzoil not putting any oil back into the car after an oil change. Grrrrrr. That was at 85K. At 108K, the brake pads had to be replaced. And now, at 116K, the car needs a new transmission. So I am stuck - do I fix my car or get another? ACK!

I had a 92 Shadow, it was blue, but the paint had a peeling problem. Nevertheless, I liked the car, it performed well. The one significant problem I encountered was a cam shaft that split in two at 63,000 miles. Fortunately, the engine was non-interfering so the damage was limited. After 8 years and 66,000 miles, my Shadow was totaled by a nut in a Honda Odyssey who thought it was unnecessary to slow down when driving in slush. I miss that car....

I currently have a 90 4 dr 2.5 5 spd ; and i have to say i just love it , like this is my 4th car and i'd have to say it's the best . I've had a honda civic htchbk as my first car, some people would disagree but i'd say that this one handles the best out of all . I've only had to put a new oil seal ,muffler & brakes ,but that comes with age. This also has to be the most reliable car i've had too . I must admit , when i went to the dealership to buy a new car, the guy showed me it and i laughed, but when i took it for a test run and gave it [non-permissible content removed] , i loved it . Shadow's are good cars.